The True price of Religious Freedom

Once a precedent that legalizes treating one group of humans differently than another is set, it opens the door for more discrimination.

The rights of a select group of people were restricted November 4th. It was accomplished by a well organized and well funded campaign that said, in part, "a California state amendment making gay marriage illegal would protect religious freedom" I find it ironic that the people who believe this to be true, completely miss the point that it actually paves the way for their religious freedoms to be legislated against. Once a precedent that legalizes treating one group of humans differently than another is set, it opens the door for more discrimination.

Does religious freedom mean the freedom to discriminate? Is our state constitution an instrument of the church? Is a legal contract subject to religious dogma? In California, apparently it is. But what religious dogma will the California state legislature follow. Will businesses need to close businesses on the Sabbath? Will we restrict certain foods on certain days of the week? Will we make the wearing of certain clothing and jewelry against the law? These are not rhetorical questions. In my life time I have lived in states with laws that dealt with each of these issues and more. Written by the clergy and enforced by the elected officials. They were voted in by the majority to make the minority conform. And anyone can find themselves in a minority. Just try being different and see. Any kid in High School knows that.

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It is clear to me that decision will end up in the Supreme Court. There will be an equivalent of Roe vs. Wade. The wheels have already started turning in that direction. But it will take more than a decision by the Supreme Court to make people stop fearing those that are different. In my opinion the basis of any discriminatory act is fear. Fear their own beliefs can not withstand the challenge of a different way of thinking. Abortion clinics are not bombed to save lives. They are bombed to frighten people into giving up their rights to save their own lives. Will there be bombings of places that perform same sex marriages? Of course there will be. Because fear is also the weapon of those who are afraid. Afraid they might be proven wrong.

My point is that, once you start to single out groups of individuals that have different beliefs, it's hard to stop the process. The opponents of Proposition 8 said that it was not that long ago that Latinos and Blacks were told who they could marry .The proponents of the proposition said it was the religious Latino and Black vote that helped the measure pass. How easily we forget. It took 150 years to completely free the slaves. Will we have to elect a Homosexual as president to finally end Homophobia?

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